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Abstract : In recent years, life cycle assessment ( LCA ) method is widely used in green manufacturing, energy saving,and emission reduction of iron and steel production. Based on the carbon steel LCA research and relevant standards at home and abroad,the application of LCA in stainless steel in Baosteel was studied. Through the study of stainless steel ' s goal and scope, life cycle inventory, LCA and interpretation, knowledge and experience of LCA's application in stainless steel was obtained.
Key words : life cycle assessment ; LCA model ; stainless steel
1 Introduction
In the 1990s, China ' s stainless steel industry entered a rapid development period. Since then, the global apparent consumption of stainless steel has grown at an average annual rate of 6% , while the rate in China is 2. 9 times the world average. Between 2000 and 2006, the annual average growth rate of China ' s stainless steel consumption was more than 21. 17%. Especially, in 2001, the apparent consumption of stainless steel in China reached 2. 05 million tons; therefore, China replaced the United States as the world ' s first stainless steel consumer. In 2008, China ' s apparent steel consumption reached 6.24 million tons, and in November 2011, China' s stainless steel production rose by 11. 1% and reached 12. 5 million tons. More recently, stainless steel products have gradually become one of Baosteel ' s key strategic products[1].
Currently, research interests in life cycle assessment ( LCA ) increase strongly in the world steel industry. Series of LCA studies were launched by large companies ( e. g. , Nippon Steel and Tata Steel ) , European Steel Associations, and World Steel Association. These studies focused on steel materials, packaging, construction, and automotive steel products. In 2004, Baosteel formally began to study the LCA of steel products and gradually established a method of modeling the life cycle inventory ( LCI ) and an environmental impact assessment model for carbon steel products. With the development of LCA software for Baosteel steel products, LCA has become the basis for environmental management and decision making in the steel industry. The results of these studies provided technical support for energy saving and emission reduction in iron and steel enterprises ad...